Huntress Begins! (Spoilers)

[Cayman]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87924

Of the five new Year One series announced above, the one I'm most excited about is Huntress: Year One.

DD: Yeah, she’s a funny one. As we’re trying to reestablish the Bat-Family, so to speak, with the re-introduction of Batwoman, and the “repositioning” of Batgirl, Huntress is one of those characters that’s been played with a lot in Birds of Prey, and we teased the Earth-2 version in Infinite Crisis, so it was important for us to get back and reestablish our version of Huntress’ roots again so everybody was clear about which interpretation of the character we had running around, and what her role was in the DC Universe.

I don't have a clue who Ivory Madison is, but she has a cool name and isn't that half the battle? Does anyone have a wishlist for artists?

I have a feeling Black Lightning Year One will just make Tony Isabella sad. :(

[vanityman]

quick google:

Madison, Ivory

Ivory Madison thinks she’s Batman (handy now that she’s writing for DC Comics). Founder of The Red Room Writers Society, named Best Writing Coach by San Francisco Magazine, Madison is a former New Orleans restaurateur, radical feminist politico, and probably the only Plush Room torch singer with a law degree.

[Cayman]

quick google:

Madison, Ivory

Ivory Madison thinks she’s Batman (handy now that she’s writing for DC Comics). Founder of The Red Room Writers Society, named Best Writing Coach by San Francisco Magazine, Madison is a former New Orleans restaurateur, radical feminist politico, and probably the only Plush Room torch singer with a law degree.

She sounds kinda cool.

[Corrina]

Well, I tend to be wary of people who are Writing Coaches.....but, mostly, I'm wary of any Didio-ordered reordering of characters. Repositioning of Batgirl my ass.

On the other hand, I like Jen Van Meter's Cinammon series a great deal, so there's hope for Black Lightning. And Andy Diggle's Adam Strange was most excellent, so Green Arrow looks to be in good hands.

[Drakonnen]

quick google:

Madison, Ivory

Ivory Madison thinks she’s Batman (handy now that she’s writing for DC Comics). Founder of The Red Room Writers Society, named Best Writing Coach by San Francisco Magazine, Madison is a former New Orleans restaurateur, radical feminist politico, and probably the only Plush Room torch singer with a law degree.

Then I take it we're not going to see Huntress going back to showing any skin besides her face any time soon...

[Sharpandpointies]

...I'm wary of any Didio-ordered reordering of characters. Repositioning of Batgirl my ass.


*applauds*

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

The Green Arrow one sounds cool, going by the couple of arcs I've read from The Losers.

[shrike]

I'm sorry, where is Black Canary's?

It's not like, you know, with her removal as one of the founding JLA members, JLA:Year One and the fact she has JSA ties doesn't require some clarification...

/sarcasm

[Lester C.]

I'm sorry, where is Black Canary's?

It's not like, you know, with her removal as one of the founding JLA members, JLA:Year One and the fact she has JSA ties doesn't require some clarification...

/sarcasm
Her origin will be covered in backup pages of 52.

[titanfan]

I'm curious as to whether or not we see a new take on things. Huntress's backstory has been told over and over I think--I'm really not in the mood to see another origin type story again. Hopefully this mini-expands on what we know about the character already...

[Cayman]

Oh I'm no fan of Didio's philosophy either but I hope these will be fun.

I'm really only likely to get Huntress, Black Lightning, and Metamorpho.

[Cayman]

Where's Phantom Stranger Year One though?

[ChthonicSpirit]

Ivory Madison is a radical feminist?

Poor Huntress.

[Magneto_X]

This is great news.

I'll definitely be buying this.

Never heard of the writer before but if she is indeed "radical feminist" that's a brilliant move on DC's part.

Drak:

It never made any sense for Huntress to wear those silly revealing costumes. The first one was bad enough but Jim Lee's deign made Helena into a frickin *joke*!

I'm glad Gail was able to cover her up again in Birds.

Titan:

It's not like Huntress origin is retold every six months like with Batman. And she's got to be the most well known members of the Bat Family. Hell, she rarely even hangs around the Bat-titles these days.

It also appeals to new readers who only know vaguely what her origin is and people who don't even know it in the first place.

[DEWLine]

I have a feeling Black Lightning Year One will just make Tony Isabella sad. :(

It could happen that way. Hoping it doesn't for all manner of reasons...

[ChthonicSpirit]

Never heard of the writer before but if she is indeed "radical feminist" that's a brilliant move on DC's part.

In what way? Most of the women known as 'radical feminists' have been absolute blowhards.

[Magneto_X]

In what way? Most of the women known as 'radical feminists' have been absolute blowhards.

It means Huntress will be given respect and made into a badass that she truly is. Gail's doing a good job in BOP with this, btw.

[ChthonicSpirit]

It means Huntress will be given respect and made into a badass that she truly is.

If that is the net result, then I am all for it. But 'radical feminist' is not a phrase I have any positive associations for.

[Corrina]

I would worry that preachiness would leech into the comic writing, which even if I agree with, I dislike because it tends to be bad storytelling. (Canary's bitch femme period of her short-lived solo series comes to mind.)

But that's a worry, certainly I'd be willing to give a new writer with such an interesting background the benefit of the doubt until the work speaks for itself.

[Magneto_X]

If that is the net result, then I am all for it. But 'radical feminist' is not a phrase I have any positive associations for.

Same here. But I'm gonna give her a chance.

Huntress deserves some time in the spotlight and if this writer can do it all the power to her.

[Sharpandpointies]

If that is the net result, then I am all for it. But 'radical feminist' is not a phrase I have any positive associations for.

The moment someone slaps the word 'radical' in front of anything, I lose any positive associations....

[PatrickG]

Guys, guys...

It all depends on which WAVE of feminism Ms. Madison is a part of as to how much skin Huntress shows.

If Madison's a third wave feminist, Huntress' body will magically repell her clothes.

(I kid. I kid.)

Anyway, as a trained writer known for tutoring in her craft, I'm sure Madison will know when to depict a slice of reality (good, bad or ugly) and when to let her political passions fuel her writing.

It's not like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Mark Millar, Peter David, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Joe Kelly or Gail Simone have ANY political leanings and CERTAINLY not the kind that would crop up in their writing so it's obviously not a good thing for a comic writer to have political opinions of any sort that turn up in their writing.

(Uhm... Also, it's not like Gail has ever been associated with feminism, right?)

Anyway, what's REALLY important is that this lady is a torch singer with a law degree.

Those credentials alone should give her the lisence to write any title set in Gotham City that she wants to.

[Damo]

The idea that someone would want to retcon away Huntress: Cry for Blood makes me wish to shove my head through my monitor. For the love of crap, that's the Huntress story that should be handed to all writers interested in using her, with the words "read this first".

[Magneto_X]

The idea that someone would want to retcon away Huntress: Cry for Blood makes me wish to shove my head through my monitor. For the love of crap, that's the Huntress story that should be handed to all writers interested in using her, with the words "read this first".

I don't think it will be a retcon of Cry For Blood. Just an update of her origin (ala Daredevil: Man Without Fear).

[shrike]

In what way? Most of the women known as 'radical feminists' have been absolute blowhards.

Very few women refer to themselves as 'radical feminists', and those that do often adhere to the stereotype of what you might visualize such a thing would be, sadly.

[The Xenos]

I'm not leary of the new author because she's a feminist or a writing coach or any of that. I'm just leary of someone who's never written in the DCU doing a definining Year One story of a character.

C'mon. On the face of it, doesn't that sound like an incredibly stupid idea and all this seems more like a PR stunt? Thankfully we know Didio and DC editorial would never try to hype something up and not really have substance. Right?

Also, isn't Huntress Cry for Blood good enough. Though even that was rather a retcon, it was pretty damn itneresting and well done. Plus it had Huntress and Question. Well, maybe it will have Huntress training like they show in that book and have her donning the costume. Of course, it will show her familia killed.

[Gail Simone]

I met Ivory briefly at SDCC. That's the first I'd heard about this project. I hope it's a success, but I really don't know anything about it.

Gail

[PatrickG]

I'm not leary of the new author because she's a feminist or a writing coach or any of that. I'm just leary of someone who's never written in the DCU doing a definining Year One story of a character.

C'mon. On the face of it, doesn't that sound like an incredibly stupid idea and all this seems more like a PR stunt? Thankfully we know Didio and DC editorial would never try to hype something up and not really have substance. Right?

Also, isn't Huntress Cry for Blood good enough. Though even that was rather a retcon, it was pretty damn itneresting and well done. Plus it had Huntress and Question. Well, maybe it will have Huntress training like they show in that book and have her donning the costume. Of course, it will show her familia killed.

Actually, Didio suggested to me several months ago that this was the route to go for breaking in now.

New talent paired with proven concept in a lighter continuity setting.

Think about it: New talent on new character or third string character may fall flat.

And new talent doing part 20 of a 40 part story creates potential for leaks, doesn't allow the new talent to shine and requires briefing someone not up to speed on behind-the-scenes plans.

Putting new people on origin stories of established characters is a safe move.

And as history as shown us, it's easier to ignore a year one story that bombs than a run on a monthly. No damage control needed. Just declare it apocryphal. You don't even need Superboy-Prime to hit a wall.

LONG HALLOWEEN was considered apocryphal until HUSH. VENOM was apocryphal until KNIGHTFALL.

A story set in the past makes for a nice open canvas and leaves editorial the option to include it or not include it after the fact with little mess.

[hellokittykat]

I didn't read 'Cry For Blood' so I only recently found out that it retconned Huntress' origin.
I don't understand why this was done in the first place because I thought her origin was fine as it was based on her first series.:confused:

[Damo]

Cry for Blood (which I hope is going untouched, like some people are suggesting) was more of a tweak and expansion of the Huntress' miniseries origin, combined with Huntress dealing with the implications of some new info on her parents' murder.

[InigoMontoya]

As a mainly Marvel fan (except for DoP and Catwoman) i can't understand how DC fans can be so casual about someone totally reconning a character into something different. Surely change a characters origin is changing their personality as where all the sum of our experiences.

[Sharpandpointies]

As a mainly Marvel fan (except for DoP and Catwoman) i can't understand how DC fans can be so casual about someone totally reconning a character into something different. Surely change a characters origin is changing their personality as where all the sum of our experiences.

Trust me. Not all of us are casual about it.

[Corrina]

Anyway, as a trained writer known for tutoring in her craft, I'm sure Madison will know when to depict a slice of reality (good, bad or ugly) and when to let her political passions fuel her writing.

It's not like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Mark Millar, Peter David, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Joe Kelly or Gail Simone have ANY political leanings and CERTAINLY not the kind that would crop up in their writing so it's obviously not a good thing for a comic writer to have political opinions of any sort that turn up in their writing.

(Uhm... Also, it's not like Gail has ever been associated with feminism, right?)



Storytelling is all. Preaching is bad, no matter what the politics. Heck, I think half the problems with Civil War is that Millar is being preachy.

Most of the artists you named are, first and foremost, storytellers. Their stories serve their worldview, not the other way around. That would be true of any good writer.